Author Archives: Tim

SDCC Route 35 NOV ’19 Survey Results

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Our 2nd Survey about Route 35 started about a month after Route 35 ended in 2019.

SDCC View Route 35 NOV ’19 Survey Spreadsheet Results.

  • There needs to be a stop on south side of Shore Drive beside Kroger’s. There are senior apartments and employees at Kroger’s who would use it if there were a bus stop.
  • There should be more stops on Shore Drive..one at the foot of the Lesner on each side for residents along Page Ave and in Ocean Park would make sense. I don’t want to DRIVE 2 miles to catch the bus.
  • Need more handicap services to get around oceanfront if I could go- once there- walking is tough
    E-scooters taking up space at bus stops. Do e-scooters pay for that space?
  • The schedule is not posted at the bus stop so I don’t know when or how often it comes. Or the exact route
  • Didn’t know when or where to get a return bus.
  • Not familiar with how often it runs and where it stops.
  • While waiting for a bus we can be there by car and come back exactly when we are ready. The bus doesn’t solve any problem for us.
  • I tried once, but it was very late. Never tried again
  • As I understand, you could wait for up to an hour, as it isn’t timed stops.

  • Year round. Keep 30 min or less to wait. 7a to 12 midnight. Go to base entrances or close to if possiblE. DRIVERS WERE GREAT ..VB Ambassadors & information guides
  • Stop by Rite Aid
  • A few more stop/pick-ups in the Boardwalk/Pacific area.
  • shorter wait times
  • More stops at Oceanfront especially for special events
  • Improve ticketing buying app so you can find stops, see times of arrival, and track live bus location with ETA. Year-round would be awesome, but at least extend the season (April to October?).
  • Still not sure whether the bus stops only at designated stops or if it will stop is hailed at any point on route. Wish this info were more publicized
  • Add a stop next to Kroger. There is a Special Needs young man that works there and a stop would allow him to take the bus to work. Add a stop at Kendall Street, now that the sidewalk is finished this stop would service the residents of Cape Henry Shores.
  • Have Kroger sell tickets. Allow 65+ to purchase 1/2 fare tickets on the app as well as the regular fare that’s there now.
  • Op.year round. First Landing/seashore park riders need to be at a pick up stop On shore drive as everyone else. Bus turning off into park area for riders waste time and resources. Never been on bus when any rider got on or off inside park. Will they pick me up at my front door? Overall, A GREAT RIDE!
    Run it all year on week ends after the summer ends.
    It should operate year round
  • I plan to use it more next year. Would love it to be year round.
  • have current bus location on an “app”. (most times we’ve used it, the bus arrived over half hour after the time we expected it. So frustrating to wait that long). We would use it much more frequently if we could avoid sending at the bus stop for about an hour each round trip.
  • I like the number and location of the stops. Start in April till November. Those are the only improvements for now.
  • Make special trips for special events
  • More stops at Oceanfront. Like the fact that it stops at First Landing State Park for the campers. Glad we have this bus but wish it ran into October.
  • Please operate year round. We go the ocean front much more frequently off season to take advantage of restaurant specials and to walk or bike ride on the boardwalk.
  • I would love to have it available for thebig running eventsie Shamrock half marathon and Rock n roll half marathon.
  • Purchasing tickets online was not easy. Both times the driver told me I only had one ticket when I thought I bought 2.
  • Year round would be great
  • Love the opportunity to get to the Oceanfront without worrying about Parking. It is the best reason for ME to use public transportation. LOVE Route 35 and would like it to run year round, why not?
  • year round would be great if there are enough riders, or maybe just in the evenings. We took it to avoid the horrific traffic to the parking lots at the oceanfront.
  • YEAR ROUND SCHEDULE— TICKET AVAILABILTY improvement needed- CITY ADVERTISING ON SHORE DRIVE BUSINESSES and PROVIDING TICKETS AT BUSINESSES BUS DRIVERS GREAT— GREAT COMMUNICATIONS ON VA BEACH — Keep them engaged and a RAISE!! maybe a TIP Jar… really great group ambassadors of VA BCH
    Operate year round !
  • Make it year round
  • More promotion of Route 35 by HRT & CoVB !!
  • 35 should operate year round. There are a lot of restaurants on this route and people who need to get to work year round. It is good having this bus as the 29 only runs once per hour.
  • I appreciate that my teenager can take it to get down to the ocean. The drivers allow him to take his surfboard. I really appreciate that they have this route.
  • Year round for the people that depend on it; although, I don’t use it often, it is an easy way to get around the beach!

“Existing AM and PM peak hour traffic counts were conducted on Tuesday, March 12, 2019 from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the US Route 60 (Shore Drive)/Pleasure House Road intersection.”

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You’ve heard about Bonaventure speculating on Windsong Apartments in Chesapeake Beach – here is their traffic study taken March 2019.

Click graphic to view their traffic study.

Invites went out to see what Bonaventure is proposing at Windsong in Chesapeake Beach. Join us DEC 2nd!

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Directions to Morning Star Baptist Church 4780 First Court Road.

BEC Learning Series: Environmental Advocacy 101: How to Amplify Your Voice

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Learn more at CBF.org:

“The event is timed to give you new ideas and proven tools to employ in advance of the Virginia General Assembly (Jan-Mar 2020), perhaps the most decisive time for the Chesapeake Bay here in Virginia every year.”

Click to learn more!

LAKE BRADFORD / CHUBB LAKE DRAINAGE STUDY November 2019 | CIP 7-053 presentation from Open House, and Survey due DEC 12

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Visit main page at VBGov.com.

The City of Virginia Beach’s Department of Public Works is seeking public input on repetitive residential and roadway flooding within the area adjacent to Joint Expedition Base (JEB) Little Creek, Chesapeake Beach, Northampton Boulevard, and Shore Drive.

Start Official Survey here.

Survey will CLOSE DEC 12

Download Official Presentation

An Open House Meeting was held by the Virginia Beach Public Works Department, November 14, 2019, at the Bayside Recreation Center.

Official CIP 7-053 Page.

City District(s): Bayside

This project will be for the design, acquisition, and construction of stormwater and related roadway improvements necessary to alleviate widespread flooding due to moderate rain events, and during periods of significant high tides from the Chesapeake Bay. Lake Bradford and Lake Chubb are tidally influenced by the Chesapeake Bay via their outfall drainage ditch system that runs through Joint Expeditionary Base – Little Creek. The eastern portion of Stormwater Watershed 31 including areas west of Northampton Blvd and portions of Church Point and Thoroughgood drain into Lake Bradford before they drain through Little Creek and into the Chesapeake Bay. The drainage improvements include, but are not limited to, storm drain pipe and structure improvements, additional stormwater culverts under multi-lane arterial roadways, tide control devices such as mechanized sluice gates, stormwater management pond improvements and, potentially, some channel/ditch clearing.

November Baylines from Bayfront Advisory Committee

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View November Baylines 2019 Newsletter.

(PLEASE NOTE: Next Meeting is THURS NOV 21 at 3:30pm at Bayside Rec Center.)

Johnson assured the Commission that funding for the $29.1 million project would not be diverted to other CIP projects. Part of the reason for additional design stemmed from staffing difficulties in the wake of the May 31, 2019, mass shooting at Building 2 in the municipal complex, he said. This resulted in relocating Public Works Department offices, equipment and workers along with turnover due to retirements and transfers.

Another part of the Shore Drive improvements, Phase IV (CIP 2-118), between Marlin Bay Dive and the Lesner Bridge was paused after concept design was completed in 2008. Design is planned to resume next year with a projected March 2024 construction start. Funding for this $15.5 million phase is #1 to the BAC’s high-priority 2019-20 strategic plan.

News includes 18 month delay for Phase 3, Phase 4 delayed again, City seeks public input into Comp Plan & Fire Department services and more.

“We would really like to see the city step up and take care of this area and implement Phase 4 and implement Phase 3 now,” said Ocean Park Civic League President Andrew Broyles.”

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View video & story by Reporter Ali Weatherton at 13NewsNow.com.

“nothing really safe there for pedestrians”

And:

“Shore Drive is the 3rd most traveled road in Virginia Beach”

Did you know it’ll be ~20 years between completing only 2 Phases of bringing Shore Drive up to the standards of the rest of the city.

Let’s step up and take care of this area now.

Please take our new Survey about Route 35 so we can help improve it!

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It should take you less then 3 minutes to complete it.

Start here for Survey.

Note: we will be making the Survey results public.

Thank you!

Have ideas which VB you want to live in? Take the Comprehensive Plan survey NOW to help CoVB set a vision for a city you want to live in.

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Start here to take the Official CoVB Comp Plan survey.

Questions include:

For the local economy to grow, what job sectors would you like to see develop or expand? (select all that apply)

Which of the following were reasons you chose to live where you do now? (select all that apply)

What 3 things would you change about Virginia Beach?

Start here to start the Official CoVB Comp Plan survey.

Route 35 numbers include a September 2019 blowup increase in ridership!

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Woo hoo fans of Route 35!

Please Note: when comparing the totals year over year(YOY) that Fiscal Year(FY) 2020 ends in June 2020.

Pro tip: Route 35 is a fun & easy way to travel around Shore Drive.

Thanks to everyone who continues to work on making Route 35 better!

Our main Route 35 page at SDCC.info.

Comp Plan presentation slideshow from our recent September meeting

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Learn more at VBGov.com about YOUR role in shaping the Comprehensive Plan.

Download Comp Plan slide show. (PowerPoint is 7.9MB)

Contact info for Mr Mark Shea Comprehensive Planning Coordinator​​ (757)​ ​385-2908 or meshea@vbgov.com.

Open House Public Meeting to be held by the Virginia Beach Public Works Department for the Lake Bradford/Chubb Lake CIP (CIP 7-053).

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The meeting will be held on Thursday, November 14th from 6:00-7:30pm at the Bayside Recreation Center at 4500 First Court Road.

Link to Official City of Virginia Beach, VA Public Works Capital Project Detail Sheet 7.053.000: Lake Bradford/Lake Chubb CIP page.

Official Lake Bradford & Lake Chubb Stormwater page at VBGov.com.

Lake Bradford & Lake Chubb Stormwater

Project Manager contact info:

Matthew Richardson, P.E.
Project Manager
Department of Public Works
Stormwater Engineering Center
City of Virginia Beach
mrichardson@vbgov.com
Phone: (757) 385-8005

Thanks to Mr Richardson for the email of Open House & CIP details!

Photos of Dorian after leaving Ocean Park you may find interesting

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Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.

Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.

Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.

Where Dorian was at 5pm Saturday.

Photo taken high tide Monday 655pm.

KING TIDE October 27, 2019 Get Out and Track It

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Learn more at KingTide.WHRO.org:

Volunteer Opportunities
Ready to help? Sign up to be a (Volunteer) King Tide Mapper, King Tide Captain, or Tide Watcher.

And:

Hundreds more of you mapped again in 2018 along with lots of other first-time volunteers and many students from science classrooms throughout Hampton Roads.

Now, in year 3, we’re gearing up for even-bigger things. We’d like to beat our 2017 record and build momentum toward 1,000 volunteers in 2020. We also welcome you to join one of our newly forming year-round mapping teams.

IMG_1242

September Baylines from Bayfront Advisory Committee

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View September 2019 Baylines Newsletter:

Next Meeting
Thursday, September 19, 2019 3:30 p.m.
Bayside Community Recreation Center
4500 First Court
***NOTE NEW LOCATION***

Lots & lots of news including:

Dredging ran out of Cape Henry sand, officials studying options

The sand replenishment project on Cape Henry Beach wrapped up short of reaching Oak Street because the contractor ran out of sand from dredging out the Lynnhaven Inlet, BAC commission member Phillip A. Davenport reported to the commission. “Nourishment is complete.”

Army Corps of Engineers’ contractors are still dredging in Long Creek and the spoils are being taken to the storage site off Maple Street. Dredging and replenishment projects involve specific sources for sand and destinations. The contract for the Cape Henry project ended Aug. 30., although city officials are looking at whether the stored sand on Maple Street can be used on eroded areas of Ocean Park or to add to the Cape Henry beach.

Decisions on that will depend on how Bay beaches fared during Hurricane Dorian.

Photo taken Saturday Sept 7 ’19 508pm. High tide was 456pm here.

“Looking like the storm surge and Friday afternoon’s high tide (4 pm here in Norfolk) will coincide – unfortunately.”

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Periodically we share updates from some really hard workers.

From an email by Skip Stiles of Wetlands Watch:

Looking like the storm surge and Friday afternoon’s high tide (4 pm here in Norfolk) will coincide – unfortunately. Wind from the NE starts cranking at noon Friday around 30 MPH. 1.5″ of rain on Thurs will be followed by another ~4.5 inches on Friday. Unfortunate coincidence of events.

Newest word from Jeff Orrock at NWS Wakefield is that the tidal waters are likely to hit 6.5 – 7 feet. That’s somewhere between Matthew (6 feet above Mean Lowe Low water) and Irene at 7.6 feet. Plan on 7 feet and hope for less? But the rain will be an issue on all those poorly draining streets and those places where stormwater lines bring water back up into the neighborhood.

Closings are already happening – ODU just announced a Friday closure.

ON THURSDAY – put your cars up somewhere higher if your street floods. Looks like we’ll get a pass on the wind – 30 MPH.

ON FRIDAY – stay home
…except you, Jeff. Thanks for the long hours

So – Friday afternoon flooding will be bad = tidal flooding up to 7′ (getting close to Irene), rain flooding will be bad everywhere. Wind will not be that strong but downed trees limbs will be a reality. Kids will probably get the day off Friday, so stay home if you can.

Skip
(yes, I know it says 6.2 feet on this chart but if you’re smart you’ll plan for higher because it will probably go closer to 7′)

Have photos of Lime scooters parked, being used, anywhere ? Share them!

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From a request:

If you have any photos of “good” and “bad” scooter riding or staging examples, please feel free to pass them along. I may use them in upcoming presentations. I have plenty from the Resort Area.

Thank you.
-Brian

Brian S. Solis, AICP
Assistant to the City Manager – Special Projects
2101 Parks Avenue, Suite 500, Virginia Beach, VA, USA 23451
bsolis@vbgov.com | 757-385-2907

Please cc: tim@sdcc.info or todd@sdcc.info also so we can share them as well.
Photos only. No videos please.

Welcome our new VP Empsy. Thank you for all your work Wally!

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Empsy Munden, volunteer extraordinaire from Cape Story by The Sea is our new Vice President.

Thank you Wally Damon, volunteer extraordinaire from Chesapeake Beach Civic League, for all your work as VP!

Cape Henry Beach Replenishment update

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Two emails, one from Mr Adams Public Works COVB & one from Mr Tolson Army Corp.

Subject: FW: Update on Cape Henry Beach Sand Replenishment

Todd,

We will not be able to attend the SDCC meeting tonight. The attached map delineates the dredging and corresponding sand placement areas. The contractor began dredging and sand placement along Cape Henry Beach yesterday, Sunday June 23. The Cape Henry placement is scheduled to take 30-45 days to complete. The dredging from Broad Bay Channel will be placed in the Maple Street Dredge Material Management Area (DMMA) and the small amount of dredging in the Narrows will be placed on the park beach.

Please contact me should you have any questions or require additional information. For now, please direct any project concerns to my attention.

Respectfully,

Dan

Daniel F. Adams, P.E.

Coastal Program Manager

City of Virginia Beach
Public Works Engineering / Water Resources
Municipal Center, Building #2
2405 Courthouse Drive
Virginia Beach, Virginia 23456
Ph. (757) 385-4783
dadams@vbgov.com

And from Army Corp Project Manager:

Subject: RE: [Non-DoD Source] RE: Cape Henry Beach Replenishment – Project Update #1Subject: RE: [Non-DoD Source] RE: Cape Henry Beach Replenishment – Project Update #1

Mr. Solomon,

I apologize for I am out of town this week and unable to attend the meeting. Feel free to distribute my email for residents to reach out to me. To hopefully dispel any major concerns regarding what you mentioned below, we have language in our specifications that says the Contractor shall, to the maximum extent practicable, limit the construction noise on the beach from 7PM – 7AM.

In addition, Cottrell is a good contractor who has completed a lot of beach placement projects in the past, including this project (last time Cape Henry got material in 2009). This should make them efficient in the beach placement work and minimizing their noise disruptions. They brought a large dredge plant for this project, ~19″ discharge, so we expect them to complete work relatively quicker than what we originally projected. I haven’t received a project schedule in a couple of weeks but I estimate them to complete Cape Henry Beach work by end of July, maybe into the first week of August (the variance on this is high). The 500 foot fenced off construction sections of beach will probably be moving west to east at an average pace of 48 hours. Some sections will have more fill than others to achieve the desired consistent berm prism along the entire length of the beach placement area (a target elevation of +7 feet Mean Lower Low Water) and thus take longer.

Please tell the community to use caution when navigating vessels in the proximity of the dredge and dredge pipeline. Also, please inform residents to use caution around the beach placement construction areas. The Contractor will have watches for those who get to close to the construction zone. Please be aware and cautious of dredge pipe that lay on the beach and cross at areas that sand ramps have been constructed over the pipe.

Something that residents may not be aware of that could be communicated at the meeting and limit confusion is that the sandy dredged material placed on the beach may not look like the present material. It is likely to be significantly darker and smell (the smell is contributed to any organic material that has accumulated on the bottom of the Federal Project). The material will be bleached over time by sunlight and the smell will go away relatively soon as the organics are exposed to air and biodegrade.

Please let me know if you or the community have any questions.

Regards,
Chris

Christopher B. Tolson
Design Section, Operations Branch
Norfolk District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Office: (757) 201-7012

Editors note: corrected formatting errors this morning.